RE: Looking well setup for this week8 Feb 2026 18:27
I think it’s good to reflect back on what the company have actually told us about Optimal and why it’s supposed to be a game changer.
Based on Fusion’s own published data and comparisons reported in the scientific literature, OptiMAL appears to be materially more effective than competing antibody discovery platforms.
The most important metric is efficiency. Fusion reports that OptiMAL achieves over 70% gene integration, meaning most cells produce a working antibody.
Published data for competing mammalian display systems typically show efficiencies of only 1–10%. In plain terms, OptiMAL seems to waste far less effort and deliver far more usable output.
That efficiency advantage apparently allows OptiMAL to do something competitors generally cannot: screen more than one billion functional antibodies.
Fusion states that OptiMAL can generate functional libraries greater than 10⁹ antibodies, whereas most competing platforms are limited to millions.
Antibody discovery is a numbers game, and searching a much larger, fully functional library should significantly increases the chances of finding a high-quality drug candidate, particularly for difficult targets.
Importantly, the data suggests this is about quality as well as scale.
Fusion has shown antibodies from OptiMAL with nanomolar binding strength, which aligns with the standards needed for real drug development. This indicates the platform can deliver clinically relevant candidates, not just early-stage research hits.
They say OptiMAL is also designed to closely mimic real human antibodies. Using human antibodies should reduce the risk of antibodies failing later due to safety or manufacturing issues, which would be a major cost for drug developers.
For investors, the implication is straightforward.
Platforms that improve success rates and reduce risk should command higher fees and if truly different should mean they can generate more and more repeat business
Based on the published performance gap versus competitors, my investment thesis is therefore that OptiMAL appears to offer Fusion a defensible edge that should hopefully support stronger commercial traction and long-term value. If they can get in early with clients, be valuable partners then they have a better chance of getting royalty and milestone entitlements. If they found the next Keytruda for example and had even 0.1% royalty on future sales that could add up to $31.7 million per year for fusion.
If we start to see contracts coming through, which with clients under NDA looks likely, then it would appear to me they have genuinely found a market gap and if they can scale should generate good returns for us.
DYOR and best of luck!
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